Cultivating and weeding implements



Sept. 19, 1961 M. E. ADAMS CULTIVATING AND WEEDING IMPLEMENTS Filed Dec.30, 1957 INVENTOR.

MONTE E. ADAMS Mamm United States Patent 3,000,451 CULTIVATIN G ANDWEEDING IMPLEMENTS Monte E. Adams, 4650 Maple Ave., San Diego, Calif.Filed Dec. 30, 1957, Ser. No. 706,182 2 Claims. (Cl. 172-372) Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part of my copending United Statesapplication, Serial No. 448,517, now Patent No. 2,864,297 which issuedDecember 16, 1958.

This invention refers to a cultivating and weeding hand tool. Thegeneral object of this invention is to provide a highly efliciently handtool, particularly for the use of gardeners in cultivating and weeding.

A more specific object is to provide a hand tool having a plurality ofplate-like blades which are secured in series on a mounting bar, theblades being generally circular with chordal edge segments of adjacentblades abutting at an interface substantially normal to the mountingbar, so that cutting crotches are defined at each end of such interfaceand at a considerable distance from the adjacent side of the mountingbar. This construction has several advantages including that of lendinga self-cleaning characteristic to the tool. This self-cleaning is partlythe result of the said. spacing of the said cutting crotches away fromthe mounting bar. Another advantage is the easy sharpening featureattained by this construction.

Another object of this invention, ancillary to the preceding primaryobject, is to provide for the bracing of the mounting bar by the bladesthemselves. As mentioned above, the blades abut at an interface normalto the mounting bar. Since the blades are attached on the undersurfaceof the mounting bar, they resist any tendency for upward deflection orbending of the mounting bar and the latter can be constructed of lightermaterial since the principal strain on the mounting bar is directedupward at the center thereof when the tool is being used.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand tool of thegeneral character mentioned above and in which the blades are curvedtransversely of the mounting bar to present a concave undersurface, thiscurvature functioning in conjunction with the above mentioned spacing ofthe cutting crotches to enhance the self-cleaning characteristic of thetool, this effect being further enhanced by the curvature of the cuttingcrotches resulting from the generally circular character of the blades.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand tool which isadapted for fabrication from many diiferent materials, so that thechoice of material can be according to the dictates of availability andprice considerations, the exact sizes and proportions being matterseasily determined to suit particular conditions and needs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand tool which ispracticable and inexpensive to manufacture.

Finally, it is an object to provide a hand tool of the aforementionedcharacter which is simple and convenient to use and which will givegenerally eflicient and durable service.

With these and other objects definitely in view, this invention consistsin the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements andportions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification,particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawingwhich forms a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a three-dimensional view of the hand tool, the handle beingshown fragmentarily and the part hereinafter referred to as the forkbeing shown broken and shortened to conserve space;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the plate-like blades secured to the mountingbar and the fork is again shown tragmentarily in this figure;

3,000,451 Patented Sept. 19, I961 FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional viewtaken on the line 33 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 inFIGURE 3.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar or identical elementsand portions throughout the specification and throughout the views ofthe drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the hand tool will be providedwith a handle, fragmentarily indicated at 10, the exact form of thathandle being immaterial to this disclosure. A fork, generally indicatedat 12, has a shank 14 inserted in the lower end of the handle 10 and apair of divergent arms 16. The shank may consist of parallel upper endportions of the arms. Parallel terminals 18 are provided on the lowerends of the arms 16, and a mounting bar 20 is supported on and betweensaid terminals 18.

The mounting bar 20 preferably constitutes a section of straight barstock with upstanding terminal lugs 22. The terminal lugs 22 and theterminals 18 are similarly apertured to receive attaching bolts 23 and asuitable complement of nuts and washers will be provided to enable theuser to adjust the mounting bar at any desired angle relative to thefork 12. Plate-like blades 24 are secured by rivets 26, or theequivalent, to the horizontal portion of the mounting bar 20, asdisclosed, this said horizontal portion being fiat and rectangular incross section. Obviously the shape of the mounting bar can be variedconsiderably without departing from the scope of this invention but itis a feature of this invention that the mounting bar may be relativelylight in weight because of the inherent bracing thereof by the blades 24as will now be further explained.

The blades 24 are generally circular with flat or chordal edge segments28 of equivalent length, the chordal edge segments being abutted at aninterface, identified by the numeral 30. Because the blades are securedon the underside of the mounting bar 20, the abutting chordal edgesegments are disposed beneath the mounting bar and, since the blades areoriginally fixed to the mounting bar, there results a very considerablebracing of the mouting bar against upward deflection or bending at thecenter thereof. This bracing eifect is achieved Without an increase inweight and a relatively light weight mounting bar can be employed.

The plate-like blades are peripherally sharpened, except the chordaledge segments 28, to provide curved, nearly circular cutting edges 32and it will be noted that these cutting edges 32 extend well beyond theends of the mounting bar 20. That is, the mounting bar is of such alength that the terminals 18 thereof are disposed well within theboundaries of the adjacent blades 24. This is an important feature inmaking the tool self-cleaning, as fully disclosed in the claims in myco-pending application. As stated in my said co-pending application,tangential contact portions of the blades are flattened or merged wherethe edges of the blades are disposed in continuous cutting extendedrelation. In other words, portions of the curved cutting edges definecutting crotches 34. The interface 30 is considerably longer than thecorresponding transverse dimension of the mounting bar 20, so that thesaid cutting crotches 34 are spaced well beyond the adjacent edges ofthe mounting bar. The cutting crotches 34, by reason of their beingdefined by curved cutting edges and the spacing of the cutting crotchesfrom the mounting bar, provides the tool with definite self-cleaningcharacteristics. These self-cleaning characteristics are enhancedfurther by reason of the cutting edges having a dual curvature, sincethe blades 24 are curved transversely of the mounting bar, the bladesbeing convex from front to rear as looked at from above and concave aslooked at from below; such form being obviously of greater utility wheredepth of contact with the weeds is required to effect better looseningof the soil and more eifective evacuation of the Weeds therein, that is,the undersurface of the blades is concave, as best illustrated at 36,and the upper surface is convex, as best illustrated at 38 in FIGURE 4,transversely of the mounting bar. The transverse curvature of the bladesaids in securing a desirable penetration of the soil and the blades aresharpened so that the sharpening bevel 40 is on the upper surface of theblades to accentuate this efiect. In this regard it should be noted thatthe chordal edge segments 28 have a considerable vertical dimension atthe interface 30 so that the assembly of the tool during its originalmanufacture is facilitated, the Provision of the flats or chordal edgesegments making it much easier to secure the proper relationship of theblades on the mounting than would be possible if the blades werecompletely circular. This advantage is in addition to the otheradvantages already mentioned.

Minor variation from the form of the invention detailed herein may beresorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the instantinvention.

I claim:

1. In a cultivating and weeding hand tool, elongated mounting bar meansnormally disposed horizontally when in use and having'means forattachment of a handle thereto; a plurality of plate-like blades securedin series on said mounting bar means; said blades being generallycircular with chordal edge segments of adjacent blades abutting at aninterface substantially normal to said mounting bar means, thusfacilitating original assembly of the blades thereon, said blades,excepting said segments, being peripherally sharpened to constitutecurved cutting edges and adjacent portions of the blades at the ends ofsaid interface being sharpened and defining cutting crotches; saidchordal edge segments being of a length greater than the correspondinghorizontal, transverse dimension of said mounting bar means and saidcutting crotches being spaced beyond the adjacent portion of saidmounting bar means; said blades being convex upwardly, in one directiononly transversely of said mounting bar and being flat in the directionlongitudinal of said mounting bar; said cutting edges, including saidportions definin-g cutting crotches being curved in two directions; thedual curvature of the blades combined with the spacing of said cuttingcrotches from the mounting bar means providing the tool withself-cleaning characteristics.

2. A cultivating and weeding implement, comprising a plurality ofdisc-like cutting blades, sequentially and tangentially disposed, theedges of which are bevelled and continuously sharpened; a mounting barsecured to said blades with the outer edges of said blades extendingbeyond said bar; and a handle afiixed to said bar; said blades beingupwardly convex transversely of said bar and fiat in the directionlongitudinal of said bar; said blades having tangential contact portionsflattened and merged, with continuous cutting edges defining cuttingcrotches extended beyond the adjacent edges of the mounting bar, thecurvature of the blades combined with the spacing of said cuttingcrotches from the mounting bar providing the tool with self-cleaningcharacteristics.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS678,535 Bigg July 16, 1901 841,488 Doidge Jan. 15, 1907 1,239,316Svendsen Sept. 4, 1917 1,404,666 Stekley Jan. 24, 1922 2,752,839Robertson July 3, 1956 2,864,297 Adams Dec. 16, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS1,016,474 7 Germany Sept. 26, 1957 2,128 Great Britain Ian. 31, 1901

